All you need to know ahead of the 2023 AFL Draft and what the GIANTS plan on doing with their two first-round picks.

With the 2023 season done and dusted the GIANTS now turn their attention to the 2023 AFL Draft as they look to bolster their exciting young list with even more promising talent.

Key Dates:

  • AFL Draft - First round: Monday, November 20
  • AFL Draft - Second and subsequent rounds: Tuesday, November 21
  • Pre-Season and Rookie Draft: Wednesday, November 22

How It Works:

AFL Draft selections are in inverse order of the final ladder positions from each particular season. In 2023, West Coast finished 18th and therefore it gets the number one draft pick, North Melbourne finished 17th and will get the number two pick, and so on.

However, with clubs able to trade picks, selections aren’t always in a perfect inverse order.

GIANTS Picks 

It’s an exciting time for the GIANTS who possess two first-round picks, with pick 7 and pick 16 in their possession, along with picks 43, 59, 77, 79, and 95.

The GIANTS are in the position of strength, holding Richmond’s first round pick, as well as our own.

Having made a tremendous leap from 16th in 2022 to within a point of a Grand Final berth in 2023, the GIANTS will enter the Draft hoping to add to their exciting crop of young talent as they search for another finals appearance under first-year master coach Adam Kingsley.

Click here for the entire AFL Draft order.

GIANTS Changes Since Last Season:

The GIANTS will enter the Draft with minimal changes to the list that stormed into a preliminary final, with popular veterans Phil Davis and Daniel Lloyd retiring, youngsters Jason Gillbee and Cameron Fleeton delisted, and ruckman Matt Flynn departing the club for more opportunities with West Coast.

The GIANTS also delisted inaugural GIANT Adam Kennedy in October but have committed to re-rookie the midfielder at Wednesday’s Rookie Draft.

Kennedy, 31, has played 153 games for the GIANTS but missed the majority of the 2023 season after rupturing his ACL in April.

What The Club Says:

Speaking ahead of the Draft, head coach Adam Kingsley says he’s been working alongside GIANTS National Recruiting Manager Adrian Caruso in search of the best talent available.

“We’ve got a number of players [in our sights] given we’ve got two first-round picks that we need to consider based on which way the draft heads and I feel like we are really well prepared,” he told afl.com.au’s Gettable podcast.

With a variety of different positional players mixed throughout the projected first-round talent, Kingsley revealed the GIANTS are focused on selecting the best player available with their high-end picks rather than filling any potential positional needs on the list.

“I don’t think there’s a real need to strengthen any one area so I guess our view will be pick the best available player and whoever that is they’ll certainly be able to help us irrespective of where they play. And so that’s pretty much our mindset heading into this draft.

“I think you need to have a little bit of balance and I would imagine that will be the way that we go, whether that’s key position, whether it’s midfield, half forward, back, whatever it is.

“But if there’s a standout player who is similar to who we pick at pick seven then we’ll take him [at pick 16].

“I don’t think you can get too cute in these situations and there’s certainly some players that we really like that if they happen to fall through [then we’ll take them].

“We aren’t really locked into picking a variety of players and we are happy to pick the same player, but they’ve got to be able to help us, and we think there’s a bunch around that mark that will be able to.”

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